Using Proposal Viewer to submit bids on behalf of subcontractors (BC Pro)

Proposal Viewer allows general contractors to complete bid forms on behalf of subcontractors faster and with more accuracy. Information can be transferred with ease by having both the proposal and bid form in the same view, eliminating tedious data cross-referencing and errors.

This article goes over how to use Proposal Viewer to quickly enter bid details in cases where a subcontractor is not on the BuildingConnected network and submits their bid via email or over the phone.

For instructions on how to use Proposal Viewer for bids submitted through BuildingConnected, please reference the article: How BC Pro subscribers can use Proposal Viewer with Bid Leveling (BC Pro).

To access Proposal Viewer

Start from the bid leveling tab of the appropriate project. For instructions on how to access Bid Leveling please reference the article, How to access bid leveling.

Click on “Add Proposal.”

Enter the email address or name of the subcontractor for whom you’re adding this information. If they have an existing BuildingConnected account, start typing their name and select it from the list. Otherwise enter the subcontractor’s email address in the provided field.

Once the subcontractor’s information has been entered, click on “Add a proposal on behalf of”.

Please note that adding a proposal on behalf of a subcontractor will not send them an email notification.

You’ll be directed to the bid package’s bid form. Click on the “Upload” button.

Select the appropriate file and then click on “Open.”

Alternately, you can drag and drop the appropriate file on the right side of this window.

Note: Only PDF files can be uploaded into Proposal Viewer. Click here or instructions on how to convert Word documents into PDF files. Click here for instructions on how to convert Excel documents into PDF files. 

The upload will begin automatically. Once uploaded, you’ll be able to see the details of the file on the right.

Proposal Viewer does not automatically add data into the bid form after a PDF is uploaded. However, you can use this side by side view to easily enter the appropriate information into the bid form. Once the appropriate details have been entered, click on “Add Proposal” to proceed to the next step.

You’ll be asked to confirm the details of the bid before submitting. Click on “Back to Edit” if an adjustment is needed. Otherwise click on “Submit.”

As a reminder, submitting bids on behalf of subcontractors does not send them an email notification. However, they will see the bid in their BuildingConnected account.

You will immediately see the bid listed in the “Bid Leveling” tab.

Hover over “Unknown Company” until you see the “Edit” icon and click on it. Fill in the company’s name and click on “Enter” in your keyboard to save the change.

You will immediately see the updated name along with the bid you added listed in the “Bid Leveling” tab. You will also see the company name in the “Bidders” tab.